Health and Medtech

Every day we encounter health and medical technology, from devices and implants, to diagnostics, vaccines, drug delivery vehicles and devices. Understanding materials and their behaviour enables much of the modern applications of this technology. For example, materials research has allowed manufacturers to use new materials to improve the lifetime of implants. Through non-destructive analysis, the ESRF can investigate how materials behave under real conditions of end-use such as dental implants, drug delivery devices and pill design. Read more

The high quality and intensity of the ESRF X-ray beams allow researchers to study the micro- and even nano-structure of materials and devices. The techniques most widely used by this industry are X-ray radiography and 3D/4D computed tomography (CT) imaging. With suitable samples, these techniques can be performed with time resolution and under a wide range of environmental conditions. The ESRF can also provide comprehensive support for studies using animal models and longitudinal studies. Possible research includes: